Another crazy season is over, and life is reluctantly returning to normal – or is it? Many people are still battling with challenges to life, and the holiday season strangely may have aggravated these. Many factors are necessary for health of body, but also health of mind.
A very important component is connection and a sense of belonging. Christmas holidays are often a time when families get together and touch bases.
But for many, it is an incredibly sad and lonely time – especially with the devastation of Covid over the last two years. Depression and anxiety disorders have increased from one in 10 people before Covid to four in 10 since July 2020 in the US. I suspect it is much the same in South Africa.
So, what can we do about this if we are battling? Of course, we can visit our GP or psychologist or counsellor to obtain medication or establish coping interventions.
In severe depression and where suicide is a risk, medical intervention can be lifesaving. But there are also other options for less severe depression and anxiety.
It is unusual for most doctors to talk about these other options, yet there is increasing evidence that they can be as effective as medications. We are referring to things such as regular exercise, ensuring restful sleep, positive psychology – which includes such practices as gratefulness, mindfulness, positive self-talk, reaching out to others with appreciation and affirmation, and yes, you were probably expecting it – a healthful diet.
I came across a 2015 article published in the highly respected medical journal “The Lancet”, written by a group of academics from the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research. They note that just as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and gastro-enterology disorders are increasingly impacted by diet, so too, because the brain is the greatest consumer of energy in the body, it is likewise affected by dietary disturbances. The determinants of mental health are complex, but the modern diet is not doing our brains any favours.
Just as a whole food, predominantly plant-based diet is good for a healthy heart, liver, kidneys, gut and immune system, so too it is important for a healthy brain. We will go into further detail about this in the next episode, but suffice it to say, the building blocks of the neurotransmitters responsible for smooth mental function come from our diet. The amino-acid tryptophan is used to manufacture serotonin, melatonin and vitamin B3.
The amino-acid tyrosine is used to manufacture thyroxine, melanin, growth hormone, encephalin and the neuro-transmitters – dopamine and nor-epinephrine. Excellent sources of these building blocks are whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts. Although also present in animal foods, the high protein content of these foods limits the transport of these amino acids into the brain.
Next time we will explore the subject in more depth.
Dr Dave Glass
MBChB, FCOG(SA), DipIBLM
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